Home >
New Releases >
Law >
The Politics of International Norms: A Rhetorical Approach

The Politics of International Norms: A Rhetorical Approach

Author: Anette Stimmer
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9781009455442

Published In: February 2025
Format: Hardback
Jurisdiction: U.K. ? Disclaimer:
Countri(es) stated herein are used as reference only
Paperback Edition ISBN: 9781009455459

List Price: HKD 1,365.00

HKD 1,324.05 Save HKD 40.95 (3%)

Download Order Form

Add to Wishlist
| Add to Compare

Description
Contents

Details

Norm contestation is prevalent in international affairs: Legal ambiguities and tensions generate debate, even when well-established international norms are applied to concrete situations. This book discusses a wide range of norm disputes and develops a rhetorical approach to the politics of international norms. Anette Stimmer demonstrates how actors can agree or disagree on the norm frame (norm-based justification) and/or behavioural claim (implementing action) when applying international law. Thus, norm contestation can have four “alternate endings”: norm impasse, norm neglect, norm recognition, and norm clarification. These alternate endings affect the clarity and strength of the contested norms, as well as subsequent debate, differently. Furthermore, Stimmer explains how the three elements of rhetoric – speakers (including delegation to agents), argumentation, and audience reactions – influence the duration and outcome of contestation. This rhetorical approach is applied to eight norm disputes, ranging from military interventions to contestation over the human rights of terror suspects.

Introduction

1. Alternate endings of norm contestation

2. Persistence of alternate endings: argumentation, audience reactions and delegation to agents

3. Norm impasse: contested statehoods of Kosovo, South Ossetia and Abkhazia (territorial integrity vs. self-determination)

4. Norm neglect:

2011.

Libya no-fly zone (R2P, PoC vs. sovereignty) and South China Sea dispute (UNCLOS, 2016 arbitral award vs. nine-dash line, four sha)

5. Norm recognition:

2003.

Iraq war (chapter VII norms) and targeted sanctions (due process rights)

6. Norm Clarification: international terrorism (right to self-defense and torture prohibition)

Conclusion